Wisconsin government surplus auctions
Most Wisconsin government surplus doesn't go through GovDeals. The State of Wisconsin sells through Wisconsin Surplus Online Auction, a Mount Horeb company that runs the state's online auctions, and many Wisconsin cities and counties use it too. GovDeals is the side channel: 633 Wisconsin auctions with a confirmed result from May 22 to October 31, 2026. Where the two overlap, the vehicles are hotly contested.
Where the State of Wisconsin sells its surplus
The state's online surplus auctions are run by Wisconsin Surplus Online Auction, a family-owned company in Mount Horeb that says it has held the State of Wisconsin contract since 2003. It sells for state agencies and for local governments, police and fire departments, and school districts. The City of Janesville, for one, contracts with it for surplus vehicles and equipment, and the Department of Revenue has used it for unclaimed property auctions.
You register on its site to bid. Some auctions offer in-person viewing in Mount Horeb, but payment, pickup and removal terms are set auction by auction, so read each auction's terms before you bid.
If you search for "wisconsin surplus" or "wis surplus auction", that company is what you're looking for. This page covers it briefly and then the other half of the market: Wisconsin sellers on GovDeals.
Wisconsin on GovDeals: the numbers
Every GovDeals auction with a Wisconsin pickup location that closed from May 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026 with a confirmed result:
| Metric | Wisconsin on GovDeals |
|---|---|
| Auctions with a confirmed result | 633 |
| Sold | 547 |
| Median bidders per sold lot | 9 (all GovDeals: 11) |
| Median winning bid | $320 (all GovDeals: $175) |
| Total winning bids | $2.2 million |
| Selling accounts | 68 |
| Auctions from commercial sellers | 11.1% |
| Lots open on November 1 | 84 |
Wisconsin vehicles on GovDeals draw a crowd
Wisconsin's GovDeals vehicles sell high and draw more bidders than the national average. The 31 pickups that sold had a median of 49 bidders and a median winning bid of $8,450, against 38 bidders and $3,850 across all of GovDeals. SUVs went for a median $5,075 with 46 bidders (national: $3,000 and 30), and the 10 dump trucks for $9,800 with 51.5 bidders.
Everything else is quiet. Radios and electronics, police equipment and general merchandise often closed with one to five bidders. Appleton (90 auctions) and La Crosse (46) were the busiest sellers. Only 84 Wisconsin lots were open on GovDeals on November 1.
What sells
The busiest categories (at least 10 sales each), with the GovDeals-wide figure for comparison:
| Category | Sold | Median bidders | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Merchandise | 46 | 5 (all GovDeals: 3) | $62 (all GovDeals: $35) |
| Pickup Trucks | 31 | 49 (all GovDeals: 38) | $8,450 (all GovDeals: $3,850) |
| Communication & Electronic Equipment, Miscellaneous | 20 | 1 (all GovDeals: 7) | $52 (all GovDeals: $100) |
| Fire & Police Equipment | 15 | 1 (all GovDeals: 6) | $100 (all GovDeals: $65) |
| Jewelry | 21 | 3 (all GovDeals: 4) | $114 (all GovDeals: $100) |
| SUV | 22 | 46 (all GovDeals: 30) | $5,075 (all GovDeals: $3,000) |
| Vehicle Equipment and Parts | 13 | 3 (all GovDeals: 8) | $150 (all GovDeals: $110) |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies | 15 | 3 (all GovDeals: 5) | $31 (all GovDeals: $60) |
| Tools, All Types | 11 | 6 (all GovDeals: 10) | $64 (all GovDeals: $53) |
| Laboratory Equipment | 11 | 4 (all GovDeals: 7) | $1,300 (all GovDeals: $100) |
| Dump Trucks | 10 | 51.5 (all GovDeals: 33) | $9,800 (all GovDeals: $6,500) |
Who sells
| Seller | Type | Auctions | Sold | Winning bids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | Government | 90 | 86 | $145,456 |
| La Crosse | Government | 46 | 40 | $90,473 |
| Account 27131 | — | 42 | 18 | $102,655 |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Surplus | Government | 31 | 25 | $6,943 |
| Rest Assured Bargains - Government Remarketing | Commercial | 30 | 29 | $37,550 |
| School District of Waupaca | Government | 26 | 24 | $5,323 |
| Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations Inc. Government Remarketing | Commercial | 24 | 20 | $123,995 |
| Eau Claire County | Government | 23 | 23 | $5,342 |
| Dane County | Government | 22 | 22 | $3,407 |
| Waupun | Government | 20 | 13 | $1,320 |
Where
| City | Auctions | Sold | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | 90 | 86 | $85 |
| Eau Claire | 90 | 78 | $216 |
| La Crosse | 48 | 42 | $365 |
| Kenosha | 42 | 18 | $5,000 |
| Glendale | 31 | 25 | $100 |
| Waupaca | 26 | 24 | $43 |
| Onalaska | 24 | 20 | $250 |
| Waupun | 20 | 13 | $100 |
By month
| Month | Sold | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026* | 28 | $1,224 |
| June 2026 | 46 | $541 |
| July 2026 | 115 | $400 |
| August 2026 | 113 | $260 |
| September 2026 | 101 | $320 |
| October 2026 | 144 | $238 |
What's open right now
41 Wisconsin lots were open on GovDeals when this page was last updated (Nov 8, 11:23 PM ET). These 8 have the highest current bids among lots closing in the next few days. Bids move fast, so open the listing for the current bid, the pickup address and the removal deadline before you bid.
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Craftsman 5000 Watt Generator 6250 Starting Watt Briggs
$222current bidGenoa CityEnds Nov 9, 8:12 PM ET -
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GavelGap puts the other half of the math on every GovDeals listing: what the lot resells for, what it costs you landed, and the pickup-only, title and condition problems that sink a deal, right in your browser.
Try GavelGap free →Methodology
Our GovDeals figures include every GovDeals auction with a Wisconsin pickup location that ended from May 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026 and whose outcome GovDeals confirmed by status, bid history or bid count. Lots we couldn't confirm either way are left out, as are real estate and land sales and sellers that sell at a fixed price with no bidding (at least 90% of 20 or more sales with no recorded bid). "All GovDeals" figures use the same rules nationwide over the same dates. "Bidders" is the bid count on the sold lot, which can include several bids from one person, so read it as a measure of how contested a lot was. Category medians are per lot, so a multi-unit lot counts as one sale at its full price. Categories need at least 10 sales. Commercial sellers are businesses and remarketers selling on GovDeals rather than government bodies, using GovDeals' own seller type. We don't show sell-through: before September 2026 our tracking didn't record every unsold auction, so early months would overstate it. We don't publish per-lot resale estimates. Facts about Wisconsin's own surplus program come from the official sources linked above; programs change, so confirm terms with the agency before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the State of Wisconsin sell surplus property?
Through Wisconsin Surplus Online Auction, a Mount Horeb company that runs the state's online surplus auctions and says it has held the contract since 2003. Many Wisconsin cities, counties and schools sell there too.
Is Wisconsin surplus on GovDeals?
Some of it. From May 22 to October 31, 2026, we tracked 633 GovDeals auctions from Wisconsin sellers with a confirmed result, mostly cities, counties, schools and the UW-Milwaukee surplus office. The state's own auctions run on Wisconsin Surplus.
What do Wisconsin government pickups sell for on GovDeals?
The 31 pickups that sold had a median winning bid of $8,450 and a median of 49 bidders, well above the national GovDeals median of $3,850 and 38 bidders.
What does the winner pay on top of the bid?
On GovDeals, usually a 12.5% buyer's premium plus sales tax, and you handle pickup and removal. Wisconsin Surplus sets its own fees and terms per auction, so check each listing.
Related: Pickup truck sold prices · GovDeals truck trends · Government auctions near you
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